38 
THE NIGHTINGALE. 
their curious ditties, with which nature has furnished 
them, to the shame of art f hut proud as they may 
be of their own skill, they are not insensible to the 
harmony of musical instruments. The German 
hymn, played upon a flute yery softly, near a hush, 
in which there was a nest, soon attracted the atten- 
tion of the birds. Scarcely was the air finished, than 
the cock was heard to chirp; and, when played a 
second time, it was seen to hop through the hushes 
with great quickness, towards the place where the 
player stood, at the same time making a sort of sub- 
warbling, which it soon changed into its usual beau- 
tiful and lengthened song. 
The Nightingale is usually supposed to withhold 
his notes till the sun has set, and then to be the only 
songster left. This is, however, not quite true, for 
he sings in the day, often as sweetly, and as power- 
fully as at night ; but amidst the general chorus of 
other singing birds, his efforts are less noticed. Neither 
is he, by any means, the only feathered musician of 
the night. The Wood-lark will, to a very late hour, 
pour forth its rich notes, flying in circles round the 
female, when sitting on her nest. The Sky-lark, too, 
may frequently be heard till near midnight, high in 
the air, soaring as if in the brightness of a Summers 
morning. Again, we have listened with pleasure, 
long after dark, to the warblings of a Thrush, and 
been awakened at two in the morning by its sweet 
serenade. The Sedge-bird and Grasshopper-lark 
may also be heard long after sun-set. 
Light, however, seems to be, in most cases, a re- 
gulator of their song, for in the case of the Sky-lark 
and Thrush, as it occurred in the middle of June, 
